Top Real Estate Companies,

Real estate is a legal term (in some jurisdictions, notably in theUSA UNITED KINGDOM and CANADA, and AUSTRALIA) that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as building, specifically property that is stationary, or fixed in location. Real estate is often considered synonymous with real property (also sometimes called realty), in contrast with personal property (also sometimes called chattel or personalty). However, in some situations the term "real estate" refers to the land and fixture together, as distinguished from "real

property," referring to ownership rights of the land itself.

The terms real estate and real property are used primarily in common law, while civil law jurdistiction refer instead to immovabale property.

Ambuja Realty

Ambuja Realty Group

Promoted as a joint enterprise between West Bengal Housing Board (WBHB) and Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd. (GACL), the Company is now a joint venture between WBHB and Ambuja Housing & Urban Infrastructure Company Ltd

Promoted as a joint enterprise between West Bengal Housing Board (WBHB) and Gujarat Ambuja Cements Ltd (GACL), Ambuja Realty is now a joint venture between WBHB and Ambuja Housing and Urban Infrastructure Company Ltd. (Consequent upon the divestment of GACL's Stake) both enjoying equal equity participation. The Company was incorporated in the year 1993 to supplement the efforts of the Housing Board to meet the housing demand in West Bengal over all levels of the society.

Over the years the company has developed excellent professional expertise in developing housing and other infrastructure projects in association with WBHB, Asansol - Durgapur Development Authority, Burdwan Zilla Parishad and Sriniketan Shantiniketan Development Authority. Its signature projects are Udoyan, (The Condoville along the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass), Utsa and Ujjwala (The condoville at New Town, Rajarhat).

Currently, the Ambuja Realty group is being led by Shri Harshvardhan Neotia under the guidance of group patriarchs Shri Suresh Neotia and Shri Vinod Neotia.

Ambuja Realty Group has undertaken Real Estate development through the following Companies:-

• Ambuja Housing And Urban Infrastructure Company Ltd. (AHUICL)
• Bengal Ambuja Housing Development Ltd. (BAHDL)
• Bengal Ambuja Metro Development Limited (BAMDL)
• GGL Hotel & Resort Company Limited (GGL)
• Ganapati Parks Limited (GPL)
• Ambuja Realty Development Limited (ARDL)
• AIPL Ambuja Housing & Urban Infrastructure Ltd. (AAHUIL)
• Bhagirathi Neotia Woman & Child Care Centre (BNWCCC)

The West Bengal Housing Board

A premier Government of West Bengal organisation engaged in mass housing in West Bengal, for people from all walks of life.

Ambuja Housing and Urban Infrastructure Company Ltd.

Incorporated in the year 2005 Ambuja Housing And Urban Infrastructure Company Limited has been incorporated for undertaking Real Estate projects. The Company has a capital base of Rs.150 Crores which has been utilised mainly for investments in various Group Companies/Joint Venture Companies. The company has been promoted by the Neotia family.

Bengal Ambuja Housing Development Ltd.

Bengal Ambuja Housing Development Limited is a joint venture with West Bengal Housing Board and Ambuja Housing (WBHB) with equal equity participation by West Bengal Housing Board (WBHB) & Ambuja Housing & Urban Infrastructure Company Ltd. (AHUICL). The Company was incorporated in the year 1993, to sup

plement the efforts of Housing Board to meet the housing demand in West Bengal. It has been the endeavour of the company to provide homes for all sections of the society viz. (Low income group, Middle income group and High income group).

Bengal Ambuja presently is engaged in development of mass scale housing and other infrastructural projects in the state of West Bengal in joint venture with various Government organisations. BAHDL has developed excellent professional expertise over the years in developing housing and other infrastructure projects in association with West Bengal Housing Board, Asansol-Durgapur Development Authority, Burdwan Zilla Parishad & Srineketan Shantineketan Development Authority. BAHDL already has undertaken projects worth Rs. 300 Crores approximately. Further, the Company has entered into a Project Management Ag

reement for development of approx 400 acres of land having a project value of around Rs. 400 crores.

It would be pertinent to mention that Bengal Ambuja Housing Development Ltd. has been the only company in India to be awarded the highest developer grading viz DR1 from ICRA. The aforesaid grading indicates the following

• A very strong project execution capacity.
• Prospects of execution of real estate projects as per plan are the best
• Ability to transfer the ownership as per terms is highest.

The Mission statement of Bengal Ambuja states Home for all-affordable, cost-effective, sensitive to social needs created through systematized process and innovative technology.

Bengal Ambuja Me

tro Development Ltd.

Bengal Ambuja Metro Development Limited is a Joint Venture with Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA). The Company was incorporated in the year 1999 for development of a "City Centre" project comprising 5.50 lac sq.ft. (approx) of residential cum commercial complex.

The project is located at DC Block, Sector I, Salt Lake City, Kolkata in the heart of the prime residential area diagonally opposite the 100 acres central green park in Salt Lake. The total cost of the project was Rs.115 Crores vis- a-vis total realisation of Rs.140 Crores approx. BAMDL has also received DRI Rating from ICRA.

GGL Hotel & Reso

rt Company Limited

GGL Hotel & Resort Company Limited is a subsidiary of Ambuja Housing And Urban Infrastructure Company Limited. Currently GGL has a Share Capital of Rs. 33 Crores. It comprises of various projects / business activities viz. Shyamolima, The Ffort Radission, The Club Magna Charta, The Ffort Holiday Klub, Shimana & Surabhi.

Ganapati Parks Limited

Ganapati Parks Limited is a Joint Venture Company between Ambuja group and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), which has constructed and developed a project "Swabhumi-The Heritage Plaza"

on the EM Bypass Kolkata. The theme of the project revolves around the Indian Culture and Heritage, which brings together the cultural diversity of India at a single place.

The project endeavours to provide a compatible environment for recreational and cultural activities to meet the objectives of KMC of providing hygienic civic services and pollution control for the health and welfare of the general society at large on the land which once upon a time was used as dumping ground for garbage and waste materials.

Swabhumi offers round-the-year activities like Soirees, skits, books, music, folk songs, paintings, crafts, pantomimes, events, films, delicacies and artifacts.

Ambu

ja Realty Development Limited

Ambuja Realty Development Limited has been incorporated on 10th October, 2005 to undertake various Real Estate development projects. The Company has been promoted by the Neotia Family. The Family has already infused a capital of Rs.100 Crores into the Company for acquisition of land at various

BhorukaTech Park

super bikes

Bajaj Avenger 200 2007




Bajaj Avenger 200 2007
Category: Cruiser

Specifications:

Engine
Type: 4-stroke, DTS-i oil cooled engine
Displacement: 200cc
Peak power: 17.51 PS (12.88 Kw) @ 8000 rpm
Max torque: 16.78 Nm @ 6000rpm

Suspension

Front: Telescopic (140mm travel)
Rear: Triple rated spring, 5 step adjustable, hydraulic shock absorber, 90mm travel
Wheel Base: 1475 mm
Kerb Weight: 152 Kg (without wind shield)

Tires

Front: 90/90 - 17 49 P
Rear: 130/90 - 15 M/C 66 P

Fuel Tank

Main/Reserve: 14 liters (3.4 liters of reserve)

Frame

Tubular Double cradle with rectangular swing arm

Brakes

Front: Large ventilated disc brake
Rear: Drum brake

Country of origin
India


Bajaj Pulsar150 DTS-i

General information

Model: Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i

Year: 2007

Category: Sport

Rating: 70.7 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes

Engine and transmission

Displacement: 149.00 ccm (9.09 cubic inches)

Engine type: Single cylinder

Stroke: 4

Power: 14.09 HP (10.3 kW)) @ 8500 RPM

Torque: 12.70 Nm (1.3 kgf-m or 9.4 ft.lbs) @ 6500 RPM

Fuel system: Injection

Valves per cylinder: 1

Starter: Electric & kick

Transmission type

final drive: Chain

Chassis and dimensions

Front suspension: Telescopic

Rear suspension: Triple rate springs

Front brakes: Expanding brake (drum brake)

Rear brakes: Expanding brake (drum brake)

Speed and acceleration

Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 7.70 litres (2.03 gallons)

Reserve fuel capacity: 2.30 litres (0.61 gallons)

Further information

Parts and accessories Check out parts and accessories from our partners.

Honda CBR 1000 RR


Model: Honda CBR 1000 RR

Year: 2008

Category: Sport

Rating: 66.4 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes

Engine and transmission

Displacement: 999.00 ccm (60.96 cubic inches)

Engine type: In-line four

Stroke: 4

Compression: 12.3:1

Bore x stroke: 76.0 x 55.1 mm (3.0 x 2.2 inches)

Fuel system: Injection. Dual Stage Fuel Injection (DSFI) with 40mm throttle bodies, Denso 12-hole injectors

Valves per cylinder: 4

Fuel control: DOHC

Ignition: Computer-controlled digital transistorized with three-dimensional mapping

Cooling system: Liquid

Gearbox: 6-speed

Transmission type

final drive: Chain

More details Consult a Honda repair manual.

Physical measures

Seat height: 820 mm (32.3 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.

Wheelbase: 1,407 mm (55.4 inches)

Chassis and dimensions

Rake (fork angle): 23.3°

Trail: 96 mm (3.8 inches)

Front suspension: 43mm inverted HMAS cartridge fork with spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability

Front suspension travel: 119 mm (4.7 inches)
Rear suspension: Unit Pro-Link HMAS single shock with spring preload, rebound and compression damping adjustability

Rear suspension travel: 137 mm (5.4 inches)

Front tyre dimensions: 120/70-ZR17

Rear tyre dimensions: 190/50-ZR17

Front brakes: Double disc

Front brakes diameter: 320 mm (12.6 inches)

Rear brakes: Single disc

Rear brakes diameter: 220 mm (8.7 inches)

Speed and acceleration

Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 17.78 litres (4.70 gallons)

Color options: Red/black, Black/metallic Silver, Pearl Yellow/black, Candy dark red/metallic silver, Black/metallic gray

Comments: Model ID: CBR1000RR

Further information

Parts and accessories Check out parts and accessories from our partners.
Ask questions Join the 08 Honda CBR 1000 RR discussion group
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Related bikes List related bikes for comparison of specs




Honda Crf 2008f 250cc

Put in simple, moto-friendly terms, the CRF230F is a certified blast to ride. Just ask the countless riders, of all skill and experience levels, who´ve ever twisted its throttle and made easy work of the toughest trails.

General information

Model: Honda CRF 230 F

Year: 2008

Category: Enduro / offroad

Rating: Do you know this bike?

Click here to rate it. We miss 2 votes to show the rating.

Engine and transmission

Displacement: 223.00 ccm (13.61 cubic inches)

Engine type: Single cylinder

Stroke: 4

Compression: 9.0:1

Bore x stroke: 65.5 x 66.2 mm (2.6 x 2.6 inches)

Fuel system: Carburettor. 26mm piston-valve carburator

Fuel control: SOHC

Ignition: CDI

Cooling system: Air

Gearbox: 6-speed

Transmission type

final drive: Chain
More details Consult a Honda repair manual.

Physical measures

Seat height: 866 mm (34.1 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.

Ground clearance: 297 mm (11.7 inches)

Wheelbase: 1,374 mm (54.1 inches)

Chassis and dimensions

Rake (fork angle): 27.3°

Trail: 112 mm (4.4 inches)

Front suspension: 37mm leading-axle Showa fork

Front suspension travel: 241 mm (9.5 inches)

Rear suspension: Pro-Link Showa single-shock with spring-preload adjustability

Rear suspension travel: 229 mm (9.0 inches)

Front tyre dimensions: 80/0-21

Rear tyre dimensions: 100/90-18

Front brakes: Single disc

Front brakes diameter: 240 mm (9.4 inches)

Rear brakes: Expanding brake (drum brake)

Speed and acceleration

Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 7.19 litres (1.90 gallons)

Color options: Red

Comments: Model ID: CRF230F


HeroHond karzima

HeroHonda Karzima

Model: Hero Honda Karizma

Year: 2004

Category: Sport

Rating: 75.8 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes

Engine and transmission

Displacement: 223.00 ccm (13.61 cubic inches)

Engine type: Single cylinder

Stroke: 4

Power: 17.00 HP (12.4 kW)) @ 7000 RPM

Torque: 18.40 Nm (1.9 kgf-m or 13.6 ft.lbs) @ 6000 RPM

Max RPM: 7500

Fuel system: Carburettor

Fuel control: OHC

Starter: Electric & kick

Cooling system: Air

Gearbox: 5-speed

Transmission type

final drive: Chain

Physical measures

Dry weight: 150.0 kg (330.7 pounds)

Overall height: 1,160 mm (45.7 inches)

Overall length: 2,125 mm (83.7 inches)

Overall width: 755 mm (29.7 inches)

Ground clearance: 150 mm (5.9 inches)

Wheelbase: 1,355 mm (53.3 inches)

Chassis and dimensions

Front tyre dimensions: 2.75-18 - 42 P

Rear tyre dimensions: 100/90-18 - 56 P

Front brakes: Single disc

Front brakes diameter: 276 mm (10.9 inches)

Rear brakes: Expanding brake (drum brake)

Rear brakes diameter: 130 mm (5.1 inches)

Exhaust system: Single Stainless Steel Pipe

Speed and acceleration

Top speed: 125.0 km/h (77.7 mph)

0-100 km/h (0-62 mph): 14.200 seconds

Power/weight ratio: 0.1133 HP/kg

Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 15.00 litres (3.96 gallons)

Reserve fuel capacity: 2.00 litres (0.53 gallons)

Fuel consumption pr. 10 km (6.2 miles): 2.40 litres (0.63 gallons)

Color options: pearl compose red,myth gold metalic,silver,turquoise blue,candy blazing red,black, moon yellow

Further information

Parts and accessories Check out parts and accessories from our partners.

Ask questions Join the 04 Hero Honda Karizma discussion group
Insurance, loans, tests Search the web for dealers, loan and insurance costs, tests, customizing, etc.

Related bikes List related bikes for comparison of specs

2009 Yamaha VMAX

TVS Apache RTR 160

top race bikes

TVS Apache 150ERAL

GENERAL INFORMATION
Model: TVS Apache 150ERAL INFORMATION

Year: 2007

Category: Sport

Rating: 74.1 out of 100.

Show full rating and compare with other bikes

Engine and transmission

Displacement: 109.00 ccm (6.65 cubic inches)

Engine type: Single cylinder

Stroke: 4

Power: 13.35 HP (9.7 kW)) @ 8500 RPM

Torque: 12.30 Nm (1.3 kgf-m or 9.1 ft.lbs) @ 7500 RPM

Compression: 9.5:1 Bore x stroke: 57.0 x 57.8 mm (2.2 x 2.3 inches)

Fuel system: Carburettor

Fuel control: OHC

Ignition: IDI-Dual mode digital ignition

Cooling system: Air

Gearbox: 5-speed

Transmission typefinal drive: Chain

Physical measures

Weight incl. oil, gas, etc: 136.0 kg (299.8 pounds)

Wheelbase: 1,260 mm (49.6 inches)

CHASIS AND DIMENSION

Front suspension: Telescopic oil-damped

Rear suspension: Monotube inverted Gas filled Shox (MIG)

Front tyre dimensions: 90/90-17

Rear tyre dimensions: 100/80-18

Front brakes: Single disc Front brakes diameter: 240 mm (9.4 inches)

Rear brakes: Expanding brake (drum brake) Rear brakes diameter: 110 mm (4.3 inches)

Speed and acceleration Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 16.00 litres (4.23 gallons)

Reserve fuel capacity: 2.50 litres (0.66 gallons)

Further information Parts and accessories Check out parts and accessories from our partners. Ask questions Join the 07 TVS Apache 150 discussion group Insurance, loans, tests Search the web for dealers, loan and insurance costs, tests, customizing, etc. Related bikes List related bikes for comparison of specs

Suzuki B-King ABS 2008

The B-King´s imposing engine is out there for all the world to see. One look at its twin exhaust pipes is enough to know that it has the power to reward you with a one-of-a-kind sport riding experience. The new B-King -you´ve never ridden anything like it.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Model: Suzuki B-King

Year: 2008

Category: Allround

Rating: 75.7 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes

Engine and Transmission

Displacement: 1340.00 ccm (81.77 cubic inches)

Engine type: In-line four

Stroke: 4

Compression: 12.5:1

Bore x stroke: 81.0 x 65.0 mm (3.2 x 2.6 inches)

Fuel system: Injection

Fuel control: DOIgnition: Digital/Transistorized

Starter: Electric

Lubrication system: Wet sump

Cooling system: Liquid

gear :6-speed

Transmission typefinal drive: Chain

More details Consult a Suzuki repair manual

Physical measures

Dry weight: 235.0 kg (518.1 pounds)

Seat height: 805 mm (31.7 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.

Overall height: 1,085 mm (42.7 inches)

Overall length: 2,220 mm (87.4 inches) Overall width: 800 mm (31.5 inches)

Ground clearance: 120 mm (4.7 inches)

Wheelbase: 1,525 mm (60.0 inches)

Chassis and dimensions

Front suspension: Inverted telescopic, coil spring, fully adjustable spring preload, adjustable rebound damping and adjustable compression damping

Rear suspension: Link-type, gas/oil damped, fully adjustable spring preload, adjustable compression and rebound damping

Front tyre dimensions: 120/70-ZR17

Rear tyre dimensions: 200/50-ZR17

Front brakes: Double disc

Rear brakes: Single disc Speed and acceleration

Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 16.50 litres (4.36 gallons)

Color options: Gray/Silver, Black/Matte Black

Further information Parts and accessories Check out parts and accessories from our partners. Ask questions Join the 08 Suzuki B-King discussion group Insurance, loans, tests Search the web for dealers, loan and insurance costs, tests, customizing, etc. Related bikes List related bikes for comparison of specs

Model: Suzuki B-King

Suzuki B-King 2008 ABS

The B-King´s imposing engine is out there for all the world to see. One look at its twin exhaust pipes is enough to know that it has the power to reward you with a one-of-a-kind sport riding experience. The new B-King -you´ve never ridden anything like it.

General information

Model: Suzuki B-King

Year: 2008 Category: Allround

Rating: 75.7 out of 100. Show full rating and compare with other bikes

Engine and transmission
Displacement: 1340.00 ccm (81.77 cubic inches)

Engine type: In-line four

Stroke: 4

Compression: 12.5:1 Bore x stroke: 81.0 x 65.0 mm (3.2 x 2.6 inches)

Fuel system: Injection

Fuel control: DOHC

Ignition: Digital/Transistorized

Starter: Electric

Lubrication system: Wet sump

Cooling system: Liquid

Gearbox: 6-speed

Transmission typefinal drive: Chain

More details Consult a Suzuki repair manual.

Physical measure

Dry weight: 235.0 kg (518.1 pounds)

Seat height: 805 mm (31.7 inches) If adjustable, lowest setting.
Overall height: 1,085 mm (42.7 inches)

Overall length: 2,220 mm (87.4 inches)

Overall width: 800 mm (31.5 inches)

Ground clearance: 120 mm (4.7 inches) Wheelbase: 1,525 mm (60.0 inches)

Chassis and dimensions

Front suspension: Inverted telescopic, coil spring, fully adjustable spring preload, adjustable rebound damping and adjustable compression damping

Rear suspension: Link-type, gas/oil damped, fully adjustable spring preload, adjustable compression and rebound damping

Front tyre dimensions: 120/70-ZR17

Rear tyre dimensions: 200/50-ZR17

Front brakes: Double disc

Rear brakes: Single disc Speed and acceleration

Other specifications

Fuel capacity: 16.50 litres (4.36 gallons)

Color options: Gray/Silver, Black/Matte Black

Further information

Parts and accessories Check out parts and accessories from our partners. Ask questions Join the 08 Suzuki B-King discussion group Insurance, loans, tests Search the web for dealers, loan and insurance costs, tests, customizing, etc. Related bikes List related bikes for comparison of specs

20. Mutual Funds 1: What is a Mutual Fund?

MUTUAL FUND

A mutual fund is a professionally managed firm of collective investments that collects money from many investors and puts it in stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments, and/or other securities.[1] The fund manager, also known as portfolio manager, trades the fund's underlying securities, realizing capital gains or losses and passing any proceeds to the individual investors. Currently, the worldwide value of all mutual funds totals more than $26 trillion. [2]
Since 1940, there have been three basic types of mutual fund investmentcompanies in the United States. Similar funds also operate in Canada. However, in the rest of the world, mutual fund is used as a generic term for various types of collective investment vehicles, such as unit trusts, open-ended investment companies (OEICs), and unitized insurance funds

History.
Massachusetts Investors Trust (now MFS Investment Management) was founded on March 21, 1924, and, after one year, it had 200 shareholders and $392,000 in assets. The entire industry, which included a few closed-end funds represented less than $10 million in 1924.
The stock market crash of 1929 hindered the growth of mutual funds. In response to the stock market crash, Congress passed the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These laws require that a fund be registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and provide prospective investors with a prospectus that contains required disclosures about the fund, the securities themselves, and fund manager. The SEC helped draft the Investment Company Act of 1940, which sets forth the guidelines with which all SEC-registered funds today must comply.
With renewed confidence in the stock market, mutual funds began to blossom. By the end of the 1960s, there were approximately 270 funds with $48 billion in assets. The first retail index fund, First Index Investment Trust, was formed in 1976 and headed by John Bogle, who conceptualized many of the key tenets of the industry in his 1951 senior thesis at Princeton University[3]. It is now called the Vanguard 500 Index Fund and is one of the world's largest mutual funds, with more than $100 billion in assets.
A key factor in mutual-fund growth was the 1975 change in the Intern
Revenue Code allowing individuals to open individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Even people already enrolled in corporate pension plans could contribute a limited amount (at the time, up to $2,000 a year). Mutual funds are now popular in employer-sponsored "defined-contribution" retirement plans such as (401(k)s), IRAs and Roth IRAs.
As of October 2007, there are 8,015 mutual funds that belong to the InvestmentCompany Institute (ICI), the national association of investment companies in the United States, with combined assets of $12.356 trillion

Top Visual Effects Software,Combustion,Cinema4D,SoftImage

Combustion 4 is a computer program "for motion graphics, compositing and visual effects" (Discreet, n.d.). The software retails for US$995 (MacMinute, 2004). It is commonly likened to Adobe's After Effects, and shares a similar interface with Autodesk's (formerly Discreet) higher-end compositing systems Inferno, Flame and Flint.

Autodesk Combustion v.2008 - is an all-in-one professional compositing application with a powerful visual effects toolset that enables digital video artists to realize their creative potential. It features an easy-to-use interface that helps artists get their work done faster. With Combustion 2008, artists have in-context access to motion graphics, 3D compositing, color correction, image stabilization, powerful vector paint, text effects, short-form editing, expressions, Flash software output and more.

Autodesk Combustion v.2008 includes unmatched integration with industry-standard animation, imaging, and illustration software. Designed to meet the needs of the most demanding effects artists, Combustion v.2008 delivers first-rate performance at an affordable price and augments the creative potential of any suite of desktop tools.
The Colour Warper in Combustion v.2008 performs primary and selective color correction. It also allows for precise fine-tuning with multiple levels of adjustment in a single pass. Colour Warper features include: - Interactive adjustment of gamma, gain, offset, hue, saturation, and contrast.

- Intuitive hue shift and a tint color wheel for fast, accurate color balancing and a visual color sampling palette for precise color matching.

- Interactive Histogram and curves editing modes for subtle, precision tweaking of color components. - Independent controls for color correcting the image’s shadow, midtone, and highlight regions.

- “Match” feature for fast scene-to-scene color correction.

- “Selective” feature for sampling up to three different color regions for isolated correction.

- User interface features: high-quality RGB vector scope, and a 3D histogram for precise color monitoring.

SoftImage XSI 6.5

Model

With the world’s fastest subdivision surface modeler and intuitive tools that make 3D modeling feel like sculpting, XSI’s non-destructive environment lets you focus on your art. A Gigapolygon core architecture that can push millions of subdivided polygons interactively lets you scale your creations to unprecedented levels of detail. With XSI, you’ll never have to wait for your 3D software to catch up to your imagination.

Animate

Fast, flexible animation is the heart of XSI. Streamlined workflows make it easy to pose and keyframe highly detailed characters. You get more keying done while watching your character in the viewports, without having to open another editor. Real-time playback means you can see what you’re doing without waiting for animation previews. A clean, responsive curve editor and dopesheet make it easy to manipulate animation. Easy animation layering and mixing simplify the process of breaking animation into parts and moving it around.

Iterate

XSI offers the best iterative workflow of any 3D package. Non-destructive tools let you add new details to rigged or shape-animated characters whenever you want, without tedious hours of rework. Full mental ray integration means you can generate full-quality previews directly in an XSI viewport for hassle-free client-attended review and approval sessions. And with XSI's built-in compositor you can preview the results of multi-pass renders without switching environments. Change is good.

Collaborate

A successful production is a team effort, so XSI features the industry’s best collaborative environment. Delta referencing technology offers lightweight, production-level referencing so multiple artists can work on assets without getting in each other’s way. Crosswalk interoperability features seamlessly transfer assets into and out of other 3D animation packages.

Reuse

Working with multiple characters often involves tedious manual tasks that you need to repeat for each character. XSI saves you time where it matters most with tools to transfer character setups and animation across rigs. GATOR transfers any surface attributes — including UVs, weight maps, skinning, and shape animation — from one character to another. MOTOR is the world’s first system for moving keyframe animation across characters, regardless of their proportions or control structures.

Shade and Texture

From scales and skin, to metal and stone, to cartoon ink and paint, XSI's Quick Shade technology and texturing tools help you get the look you want—fast. An interactive texture editor lets you unfold UVs and place texture maps precisely. The powerful render tree and texture layer editor make it easy to build complex materials. A fully integrated customizable shaderball engine renders preview thumbnails wherever you need them.

Render

Render A shared-memory architecture with the award-winning mental ray renderer built right in makes XSI the best 3D animation package for cinematic-quality multi-pass rendering. You can delve into powerful shaders in the render tree and set up breathtaking photorealistic lighting with just a few clicks. The Gigapolygon core and shared-memory architecture mean that you can render more detail using less memory than in any other package. And integrated frame buffers allow you to render a single default pass that outputs many common channels to separate files.

And with the open rendering API introduced in XSI 6, our rendering technology partners are taking advantage of our open rendering API to develop and integrate their respective render engines into XSI with similar depth and control.

Softimage customers can now enjoy XSI integrations of the following renderers:

* Indigo Renderer * 3Delight

* V-Ray * Maxwell

Paint and Composite

Can your 3D software edit textures and image-based lighting in real time? XSI’s built-in compositor is designed to do just that. Based on Avid’s Matador, Media Illusion, and Elastic Reality, XSI Illusion is a fully integrated, resolution-independent 2D paint and compositing module. With over 130 film-quality effects and more than 60 programmable brushes for 2D raster and vector painting, you can use XSI Illusion to rough out final shots, touch up your textures, morph, warp and rig images, create custom mattes and tweak the results of a multi-pass render – all without switching apps.

Develop
A Technical Director ’s dream come true, XSI lets you use the best language for the job, offering integrated C#, and support for Python v.2.5 and .NET compliant languages. A Tools Development Environment (TDE) gives developers a dedicated environment for customization and plug-in development. With a completely programmable realtime shader pipeline, a dedicated framework to host custom applications, and a rendering SDK that makes it possible to integrate 3rd party renderers, XSI is simply the most customizable 3D package available.

Try the software! Its amazing at the number of features the software offers!

Maxon Cinema4D v9.603

Model, animate and render with a practical command of all the essential functions and tools in CINEMA 4D 10. Detailed tutorials, suitable for novices and experienced users alike, demonstrate how to navigate the redesigned UI and orient you to the workflow. Next, the author guides you through the creation of a more complex project in which you model, create, apply textures, light, and render a final showcase image of a sports car. Finally, you will model, texture and prepare a comic character for animation using the new powerslider, timeline and the revised MOCCA module.Build on your command of the essentials with an introduction to the new layer system as well as these advanced skills:* Light, texture, and shade with CINEMAs material system, BodyPaint 3D, and the integrated shaders* Build complex mechanical and organic models using NURBS and polygon tools* Compose 3D content into photos* Render with advanced techniques such as Multi Pass rendering, HDRI lighting and radiosity* Simplify animation setups using XPresso constrains* Work with specialized tools such as HAIR, Clothilde or SKY for special effects

CINEMA 4D is a popular 3D application amongst matte painters in film largely due to the BodyPaint 3D functionality and is equally popular amongst motion graphics artists thanks to an excellent integration with compositing application pipelines coupled with a very artist-friendly and customizable workflow and interface. It has been utilized for films such as Polar Express[1], Open Season[2] and Monster House[3].
The application relies on widely used computer 3D technology which works by creating groups of "points" (known as vertices) which form surfaces when connected. The illusion of three dimensions is created by modeling objects out of multiple surfaces. Still pictures, movies and game environments (among other things) can be created with this technique.
CINEMA 4D has its own runtime scripting and programming language C.O.F.F.E.E. which is rather similar in form to JScript and an advanced modern C++ API with extensive SDK to develop platform independent plug-ins.
Four different packages have been released by MAXON: the core CINEMA 4D application, the XL-Bundle (including NET Render [3 licenses], PyroCluster, Advanced Render, MOCCA and Thinking Particles), the Studio Bundle, which includes all modules, and the Production Bundle, which comes with a service contract, Linux version, Renderman support and a number of other high-end studio-specific features. This version is only available upon request.
Initially, CINEMA 4D was developed for Amiga computers in the early nineties but has since been released for Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, and most recently, via the Production Bundle, Linux.
MAXON has created a way for all users to be able to 'get into' 3D with their software by pursuing this route. Training DVD in addition to install DVD for R10: More than 6GB of video tutorials in German or English. MAXON bundles HTML manuals and tutorials/videos with its software. New in release 10 are context sensitive help menus.
CINEMA 4D has been embraced by the Adobe After Effects community because of C4D's external compositing tags and object IDs which make exporting 3D data and separate alpha and depth information efficient and simple. Because the export feature also supports Apple's Final Cut Pro and other popular software, it fits well into several post production studio configurations.

EDITING Softwares,,AVID EDITING,SONYVEGAS,ADOBE PREMIER PRO

Avid Xpress Pro v5.7.2
Avid Xpress software: powerful enough for professional video and film editing. Affordable enough for anyone with a story to tell. The family of Avid Xpress software and integrated suites puts a wide range of creative tools within easy reach of today's most innovative digital storytellers.

Integrated effects, animation, and DVD authoring tools for Avid editors

With Avid Studio Toolkit, independent editors, producers, and filmmakers can add professional effects and titles, create 3D animations, and author standard-definition DVDs or high-definition Blu-ray Discs right from their Avid editing system. No other suite combines this level of features, integration, and ease-of-use. And no other solution makes an end-to-end HD workflow this affordable.

Studio Toolkit Overview Video See the great new features Avid Studio Toolkit has to offer. launch video

* Blu-ray Disc AuthoringBreak out with Blu-ray Disc authoring. Distribute your productions in beautiful HD quality on the latest generation Blu-ray Disc format. Capture from any HD source, edit, author in interactive HD and burn high-definition discs, all in your Avid editing suite. It’s that easy. And only Avid Studio Toolkit has it today. [ more about Avid DVD by Sonic ]

* Add dazzling titles and effects. No more juggling applications. Avid Studio Toolkit integrates 1,500 title and effects templates, over 110 image filters, raster and vector paint tools, EPS import, multiple compositing modes, motion tracking, rotoscoping—and more—all inside the Avid editing timeline. [ more about Avid FX ]

* Jump right in to 3D graphics. Busy video editors can skip the learning curve and start creating stunning 3D animations right away. Energize titles and graphics with easy-to-use 3D title tools and tons of 3D models that you can animate, light, and customize with lens flares, warps, deformations, and more. [ more about Avid 3D ]

Author sophisticated DVD titles in SD and HD

Avid DVD interfaceBased on technology from Sonic Solutions, the world's leading supplier of professional DVD authoring technology, Avid DVD is the perfect balance of speed, flexibility, and power. Author titles for standard-definition DVD output and next-generation Blu-ray Discs. Tight integration with Avid editing, effects, and animation applications lets you create video, special effects, audio, music, titles, and graphics for your DVD without missing a beat.

Now playing: end-to-end HD productivity

Independent professionals now have an inexpensive HD distribution format: Blu-ray Discs. Capture and edit in HD with your Avid editor, then use Avid DVD by Sonic to author and distribute high-definition Blu-ray Discs. Be the first to take advantage of this revolutionary technology to offer your clients end-to-end HD services.

Comprehensive SD and HD authoring

Avid DVD by Sonic supports SD and HD authoring, including NTSC, PAL, 1080i and 720p menus and SD and HD MPEG-2 video assets. Avid DVD by Sonic makes authoring in HD is as easy as in SD, with the same interface and menus, same built-in simulation, and same built-in burning controls. A large selection of templates makes it easy to create great-looking DVDs right from the start.

Blu-ray Disc support Blu-ray Disc Support

Blu-ray is a new type of optical disc that can support much higher storage capacities and data rates than today’s DVDs, making it possible to play back pristine-quality HD material on inexpensive consumer players. Avid DVD by Sonic supports full HD authoring and direct burning to Blu-ray Disc without any additional software (requires a Blu-ray disc burner, not included).

Professional SD DVD outputAdvanced SD DVD output controls In addition to streamlined SD DVD authoring, Avid DVD by Sonic also provides professional SD DVD output tools, including region coding, encryption, and other advanced DVD format controls.

Tight integration with Avid editors

Avid editing applications offer more ways to create and manage metadata than any competing application. One example is MetaSync, a powerful technology that turns an abstract concept like “metadata” into a timeline track you can see and manipulate, just like video, audio, or timecode. MetaSync is much more than a point in time – it's designed to cover a span of time. MetaSync can be used to create chapter points and pick thumbnail frames, right in the editing timeline, and then burn discs right from the editor with One-Step command for SD projects

Sony Vegas Pro 8.0b

The Vegas Pro collection combines Vegas Pro 8, DVD Architect Pro 4.5, and Dolby® Digital AC-3 encoding software to offer an integrated environment for all phases of professional video, audio, DVD, and broadcast production. These tools let you edit and process DV, AVCHD, HDV, SD/HD-SDI, and all XDCAM™ formats in real time, fine-tune audio with precision, and author surround sound, dual-layer DVDs.

Precise Editing Tools

Edit SD or HD video with drag-and-drop functionality, mouse and keyboard trimming, and ripple editing. Features include ProType Titling technology, multicamera editing tools, 32-bit floating point video processing, customizable window layouts, color-coded snapping, improved HDV/SDI/XDCAM support, Cinescore plug-in support, A/V synchronization detection and repair, and auto-frame quantization. More about video editing

Efficient, Professional Workflow

The Vegas Pro 8 interface provides a fully customizable workspace for accomplishing a wide range of production requirements. Dock multiple windows across multiple monitors, and save your layouts to fit specific editing tasks; nest Vegas projects within the timeline, customize and save keyboard commands, and use application scripting to automate repetitive tasks. System-wide media management produces maximum efficiency. Network rendering saves time by using multiple computers and networked drive arrays to render complex projects. Vegas Pro software also supports 24p, HD and HDV editing. More about the Vegas Pro workflow

Superior Audio Control

Use unlimited tracks, 24-bit/192 kHz audio, punch-in recording, 5.1 surround mixing, effects automation, and time compress/expand. Apply customizable, real-time audio effects like EQ, Reverb, Delay, and more. Expand your audio processing and mixing options with supported third-party DirectX® and VST audio plug-ins. Use the Mixing Console for precise audio control. More about audio production

Powerful DVD Tools

Burn Blu-ray discs directly from the timeline for high-definition delivery. Create standard DVDs with multiple video angles, subtitles, multiple languages, and running commentary. Apply Brightness and Contrast, Auto Levels, Crop, and Anti-Flicker filters. Set CSS and Macrovision® copy-protection flags for masters. DVD Architect Pro 4.5 software supports the latest devices, including dual-layer DVD burners. More about DVD creation

Interactive Tutorials New!

Vegas Pro 8 software has a comprehensive help system, as well as detailed interactive tutorials that provide walk-through demonstrations of common features and functionality. These tutorials provide an easy step-by-step method of learning the product and the workflow necessary to complete most common tasks.

How To Make İt Work?:

How To Install:

1- Run Sony setup. And install as you want.

2- Run KEygen and patch Sony directory.

3- Run App and use Keygen ( Select vegas Pro8a) to generate a serial.

3- Click on activate online.

4- When it says cannot contact bla bla.. click retry.

5- Then click on cancel and you will see offline activation page. Write down your activation code there, that's all.

Academic Adobe Premiere Pro v.8

PRICE:US$99.99

Top features:

Efficient tools for creative editing

Create high-quality visual and editorial effects directly within the editing timeline. Generate slow motion and other time-remapping effects with precise keyframe control and real-time feedback. Add color correction, lighting and other effects, audio filters, and more with fast, flexible, built-in tools. Edit footage from multicam shoots with ease and precision.

Comprehensive video-format compatibility

Work with the formats you want. Edit all standard- or high-definition formats, from DV and HDV to HD and beyond (some formats may require additional hardware).

Broad range of supporting hardware and software for Mac and Windows

Choose from a wide range of Mac and Windows® workstations and capture cards to build the editing system that meets your needs and budget. Enhance your system with additional plug-ins, including many from Adobe® After Effects® software.

DVD and Blu-ray Disc output with included Adobe Encore® CS3

Create DVD and Blu-ray Discs with Adobe Encore CS3 software, now included with Adobe Premiere® Pro CS3. Work with the same Adobe Encore authoring interface and features used to create standard-definition DVDs. Author once, deliver to three formats: automatically convert your high-definition Blu-ray Disc projects into standard-definition DVDs and interactive versions for the web.

Superior integration with other Adobe applications

Make the leading still and motion graphics applications, Adobe Photoshop® and After Effects, part of an efficient post-production workflow. Import and animate Photoshop layers. Automatically create Photoshop files that match the current project’s frame size and aspect ratio. Drag and drop or copy and paste clips and timelines between Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 and After Effects CS3 Professional.

Direct-to-disk recording with included Adobe OnLocation CS3

Save tape and time by eliminating capture from your production process. Record SD and HD video directly to hard disk using Adobe OnLocation™ CS3 software, included with Adobe Premiere Pro CS3. Instantly review each shot without shuttling tape. Adobe OnLocation automatically detects and flags problems to provide the best results.

Professional on-set monitoring with Adobe OnLocation CS3

Maximize camera image quality during shoots by using Adobe OnLocation CS3 to quickly calibrate your camera, check levels, and monitor your signal. Use simple tools that function like their hardware equivalents to get results quickly and easily. The virtual reference monitor, waveform monitor, vectorscope, and audio spectrum analyzer help you avoid problems and improve quality when shooting. Delivery to the web and mobile devices Make your video viewable on the delivery platforms of today and tomorrow. Export as SWF FLV files. Easily convert DVD projects complete with menus to SWF for web playback. Encode for delivery to cell phones and other mobile devices, and emulate playback on those devices to check playback quality.

Improved editing efficiency

Work faster with powerful and flexible editing tools. Play video with nested audio sequences in real time without rendering. Replace any clip in the timeline with a new clip while preserving the replaced clip’s editing attributes and settings. Use shortcuts to switch between workspace panels and save time.

Accelerated client review and approval with Adobe Clip Notes

Expedite review cycles and avoid miscommunication with Adobe Clip Notes. Embed video into a PDF file, e-mail the file to your client to review and add timecode-specific comments, and then view comments mapped to the Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 timeline.

Top Animation Software Autodesk Maya,3d max and Toonboom Studio

AUTODESK MAYA UNLIMITED VERSION 8.0
Maya is a high-end 3D computer graphics and 3D modeling ppackageckage originally developed by Alias Systems Corporation, but now owned by Autodesk as part of the Media and Entertainment division. Autodesk acquired the software in October 2005 upon purchasing Alias. Maya is used in the film and TV industry, as well as for computer and video games, architectural vizualisation and design.
In 2003, Maya (then owned by AliasWavefront) won an Academy Award "for scientific and technical achievement", citing use "on nearly every feature using 3-D computer-generated images."[1]
Overview
Maya is a popular, integrated node-based 3D software suite, evolved from Wavefront Explorer and Alias PowerAnimator using technologies from both. The software is released in two versions: Maya Complete and Maya Unlimited. Maya Personal Learning Edition (PLE) is available at no cost for non-commercial use, although the resulting rendered images are watermarked.
Maya was originally released for the IRIX operating system, and subsequently ported to the Microsoft Windows, Linux and Mac OS X operating systems. IRIX support was discontinued after the release of version 6.5. When Autodesk acquired Alias in October 2005, they continued Maya development. The latest version, 2008 (9.0), was released in September 2007.
An important feature of Maya is its openness to third-party software, which can strip the software completely of its standard appearance and, using only the kernel, can transform it into a highly customized version of the software. This feature in itself made Maya appealing to large studios which tend to write custom code for their productions using the provided software development








Academy Award®-winning Autodesk® Maya® software is a powerfully integrated 3D modeling, animation, effects, and rendering solution. Based on an open architecture, all your work can be scripted or programmed using an embedded scripting language and a well-documented and comprehensive Application Program Interface (API) enabling you to realize your creative vision. Autodesk Maya is used by film and video artists, game developers, design visualization professionals, and students to create engaging, lifelike digital images, realistic animation, and extraordinary visual effects.



Autodesk 3D Studio Max 2009

3ds Max (formerly 3D Studio MAX) is a full-featured 3D graphics application developed by Autodesk Media and Entertainment. It runs on the Win32 and Win64 platforms. 3ds Max is currently in its eleventh version (as of April 2008) entitled 3ds Max 2009, which adds enhanced support for complex pipelines and workflows

What's new:

New Polygon Modeling Workflow A collection of “hands-on” modeling options, new in Autodesk® 3ds Max® 2008, lets you take advantage of a more streamlined, artist-friendly modeling workflow. This video introduces you to two of these new options: temporary pivot overrides and a new subobject previewing workflow that lets you preview and select subobjects in one fluid motion and switch between subobject modes in the viewport. You’ll also learn how to take advantage of the new Multiple UV Unwrap operation—a feature that makes it significantly easier to organize the mapping of multiple objects into one texture.

Performance Enhancements Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 delivers new technology and optimizations that result in vastly improved performance for even the largest, most complex scenes. This video will demonstrate how new adaptive degradation enhancements ensure your viewport interaction rates by automatically simplifying scenes to meet target frame rates. When combined with the new Direct3D mesh caching, which groups objects by materials, the result is that tens of thousands of objects become just as interactive as ten objects. Plus, you’ll see how easy it is to control the degree to which 3ds Max simplifies your scene: You just select a desired level of viewport interactivity and 3ds Max calculates how best to achieve it.

Review Rendering

The powerful, new Review rendering toolset gives you immediate feedback on various render settings, enabling you to iterate rapidly. This means you can now quickly hone in on your desired look without waiting for a software render—perfect for over-the-shoulder client/boss feedback sessions and other iterative workflows. This video demonstrates the Review rendering toolset’s ability to deliver interactive viewport previewing of shadows, its improved workflow for those using the 3ds Max Sun/Sky system, and new mental ray Architectural and Design material settings. You’ll also learn how to take advantage of the new mental ray Sky Portal system—a workflow that simplifies the process of lighting indoor scenes with outdoor lighting. Autodesk 3ds Max/Revit Interoperability Deeper support in 3ds Max 2008 for the DWG™ file format results in faster, more accurate importing of data from other popular Autodesk applications such as Revit® Architecture 2008. This video will introduce you to two new features that streamline 3ds Max/Revit workflows: support for DWG solids—including all materials assigned to these objects—and support for imported Sun/Sky/geographic location parameters, including time of day and time zone.

Autodesk 3ds Max/mental ray

Enhancements A number of major enhancements to mental ray and the 3ds Max 2008/mental ray workflow will help you to achieve your desired look faster. This video introduces you to

* The Sky Portal workflow for lighting indoor scenes with outdoor lighting

* The self-illumination feature for mental ray Architecture and Design materials * The Render to Texture presets

* The photographic exposure UI—a camera-based interface for managing exposure settings (tone-mapping)

Toon Boom Studio v4.0

Description:

Toon Boom Studio is ideal for individuals looking for an all-in-one animation software. From drawing digitally, scanning hand-drawn animations or seamlessly importing existing artwork, Studio 4 enables you to lip-sync your animation, setup the action in a 3D space and publish your animation projects for TV, HDTV, the Web and iPod!
Covering the entire animation workflow from sketching to final publishing, you will find Toon Boom Studio to be a great tool to create or learn animation. Create any styles of animationToon Boom Studio offers true animation features designed to facilitate the creation of any styles of animation, including traditional frame-by-frame animation, key-frame animation, cut-out and photo animation.
No matter how much you know about computers or animation, everyone can use Toon Boom Studio. Learn how to use Toon Boom Studio quickly with our free video tutorials, online articles and samples.

Description:Toon Boom Studio is ideal for individuals looking for an all-in-one animation software. From drawing digitally, scanning hand-drawn animations or seamlessly importing existing artwork, Studio 4 enables you to lip-sync your animation, setup the action in a 3D space and publish your animation projects for TV, HDTV, the Web and iPod!
Covering the entire animation workflow from sketching to final publishing, you will find Toon Boom Studio to be a great tool to create or learn animation. Create any styles of animationToon Boom Studio offers true animation features designed to facilitate the creation of any styles of animation, including traditional frame-by-frame animation, key-frame animation, cut-out and photo animation.
No matter how much you know about computers or animation, everyone can use Toon Boom Studio. Learn how to use Toon Boom Studio quickly with our free video tutorials, online articles and samples.

History of Animated Movies

Animated Films are ones in which individual drawings, paintings, or illustrations are photographed frame by frame (stop-frame cinematography). Usually, each frame differs slightly from the one preceding it, giving the illusion of movement when frames are projected in rapid succession at 24 frames per second. The earliest cinema animation was composed of frame-by-frame, hand-drawn images. When combined with movement, the illustrator's two-dimensional static art came alive and created pure and imaginative cinematic images - animals and other inanimate objects could become evil villains or heroes.
Animations are not a strictly-defined genre category, but rather a film technique, although they often contain genre-like elements. Animation, fairy tales, and stop-motion films often appeal to children, but it would marginalize animations to view them only as "children's entertainment." Animated films are often directed to, or appeal most to children, but easily can be enjoyed by all. See section on children's-family films. Please see this website's related section on Visual and Special Effects Milestones in Cinematic History.

Early Animation:
The predecessor of early animation was the newspaper comic strips of the 1890s. Historically and technically, the first animated film (in other words, the earliest animated film ever made) was Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906) by newspaper cartoonist J. Stuart Blackton, one of the co-founders of the Vitagraph Company. It was the earliest surviving example of an animated film. It was the first cartoon to use the single frame method, and was projected at 20 frames per second. In the film, a cartoonist's line drawings of two faces were 'animated' (or came to life) on a blackboard. The two faces smiled and winked, and the cigar-smoking man blew smoke in the lady's face; also, a circus clown led a small dog to jump through a hoop.
This was soon followed by the first fully-animated film - Emile Cohl's Fantasmagorie (1908, Fr.), which consisted solely of simple line drawings (of a clown-like stick figure) that blended, transformed or fluidly morphed from one image into another.


Winsor McCay ("America's Greatest Cartoonist"):
New York Herald comic-strip animator and sketch artist Winsor McCay (1869-1934) produced a string of comic strips from 1904-1911, his three best being Dreams of the Rarebit Fiend, Little Sammy Sneeze, and Little Nemo in Slumberland (from October 15, 1905 to July 23, 1911). Although McCay wasn't the first to create a cartoon animation, he nonetheless helped to define the new industry. He was the first to establish the technical method of animating graphics. His first animation attempt used the popular characters from his comic strip (and became part of his own vaudeville act): Little Nemo in Slumberland (1911) (with 4,000 hand-drawn frames), followed by How a Mosquito Operates (1912) (with 6,000 frames).
His first prominent, successful and realistic cartoon character or star was a brontosaurus named Gertie in Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) (with 10,000 drawings, backgrounds included), again presented as part of his act. In fact, McCay created the "interactive" illusion of walking into the animation by first disappearing behind the screen, reappearing on-screen!, stepping on Gertie's mouth, and then climbing onto Gertie's back for a ride - an astonishing feat! It was the earliest example of combined 'live action' and animation, and the first "interactive" animated cartoon. Some consider it the first successful, fully animated cartoon - it premiered in February 1914 at the Palace Theatre in Chicago.
McCay's 12-minute propagandistic, documentary-style The Sinking of the Lusitania (1918), an animation landmark, was the first serious re-enactment of an historical event - the torpedoing of the RMS Lusitania by a German U-boat on May 7, 1915, resulting in the loss of almost 2,000 passengers. It was one of the earliest films to utilize cel animation.
Soviet animator (W)ladislaw Starewicz created the first 3-D, stop-motion narratives in two early films with animated insects: The Grasshopper and the Ant (1911) and The Cameraman's Revenge (1911). And John Randolph Bray's first animated film, The Artist's Dream(s) (1913) (aka The Dachshund and the Sausage), the first animated cartoon made in the U.S. by modern techniques was the first to use 'cels' - transparent drawings laid over a fixed background.


Felix the Cat: First Appearance in 1919
The first animated character that attained superstar status (and was anthropomorphic) during the silent era was the mischievous Felix the Cat, in Pat Sullivan Studios. He was inspired by Kipling's The Cat That Walked By Himself in the Just So Stories published in 1902.
Originated by young animator Otto Messmer, the (unnamed) cat's first two cartoons were the five-minute Feline Follies (1919) and Musical Mews (1919), when Felix was known only as "Master Tom." Feline Follies was a segment of the Paramount Magazine, a semi-weekly compilation of short film segments that included animated cartoons. By the third Felix cartoon, The Adventures of Felix (1919), Felix took his permanent name. For the first few years, the Felix cartoons were distributed by Paramount Pictures, and then by M.J. Winkler. Messmer directed and animated more than 175 Felix cartoons in the years 1919 through 1929. Felix was the first character to be widely merchandised. The last Felix the Cat cartoon, The Last Life (1928), was due to the advent of the talkies and the success of Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse. Messmer continued with his comic strip (begun in 1923) until 1966.


First Color Cartoon:
Producer John Randolph Bray's (and Bray Picture Corporation's) The Debut of Thomas Cat (1920) has often been credited as the first color cartoon, using the expensive Brewster Natural Color Process (a 2-emulsion color process), an unsuccessful precursor of Technicolor. This was the first animated short genuinely made in color using color film. Drawings were made on transparent celluloid and painted on the reverse, then photographed with a two-color camera. However, some sources have claimed that the Natural Colour Kinematograph Company's In Gollywog Land (1912, UK) was the earliest, using Kinemacolor.


First Animated Feature:
The little-known but pioneering, oldest-surviving feature-length animated film that can be verified (with silhouette animation techniques and color tinting) was released by German film-maker and avante-garde artist Lotte Reiniger, The Adventures of Prince Achmed (aka Die Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed) (1926, Germ.), based on the stories from the Arabian Nights. Reiniger's achievement is often brushed aside, due to the fact that the animations were silhouetted, used paper cut-outs, and they were done in Germany. And the rarely-seen prints that exist have lost much of their original quality. However, the film was very innovative -- it used multi-plane camera techniques and experimented with wax and sand on the film stock.


Early Walt Disney:
A classic animator in the early days of cinema was Walt Disney, originally an advertising cartoonist who initially experimented with combining animated and live-action films. The very first films he made, around 1920, were short cartoons called Newman Laugh-O-Grams. His first successful silent cartoons (from 1923-1927) were dozens of shorts called Alice Comedies (or Alice in Cartoonland) that debuted in 1924 with Alice's Day at Sea (1924). Disney's Alice cartoons placed a live-action title character into an animated Wonderland world. Oswald the Rabbit was Disney's first successful animal star in a 26-cartoon series distributed by Universal beginning in 1927. Oswald appeared in a number of cartoon shorts, such as: Trolley Troubles (1927) and Poor Papa (1927). Disney produced about two dozen of the silent, black and white Oswald cartoons from 1927-1928 until giving up the character to Walter Lantz and moving onto Mickey Mouse (looking like Oswald with his ears cut off) in 1928.]



The Debut of Mickey Mouse:
In 1928, Disney Studios' chief animator Ub Iwerks (1901-1971) developed a new character from a figure known as Mortimer Mouse, a crudely-drawn or sketched, rodent-like 'Mickey Mouse' - slightly similar to Felix the Cat. [Mickey Mouse was never a comic strip character before he became a cartoon star.] The first Mickey Mouse cartoon was released on May 15, 1928: Plane Crazy (1928) in which Mickey, while impressing Minnie, imitated aviator Charles Lindbergh. The second was Steamboat Willie (1928), first released (on a limited basis) on July 29, 1928, with Mickey as a roustabout on Pegleg Pete's river steamer, but without his trademark white gloves. The third was The Gallopin' Gaucho (1928) released on August 2, 1928. (These early films were soon re-worked and re-released with sound - with electrifying results.)
To help make Mickey stand out from other cartoon characters at the dawn of the talkies, the 7-minute Steamboat Willie (1928) was re-released on November 18, 1928 with sound and premiered at the 79th Street Colony Theatre in New York - it was the first cartoon with post-produced synchronized soundtrack (of music, dialogue, and sound effects) and is considered Mickey Mouse's screen debut performance and birthdate. Animated star Mickey (with Minnie) was redrawn with shoes and white, four-fingered gloves. [The character was a take-off based upon Buster Keaton's Steamboat Bill (1928). ] It was a landmark film and a big hit - the first sound cartoon to be a major hit - leading to many more Mickey Mouse films during the late 1920s and 1930s. Strangely, Mickey's first sound cartoon didn't include Mickey's voice -- he didn't speak until his ninth short, The Karnival Kid (1929) when he said the words: "Hot dogs!" [Walt's voice was used for Mickey.] Walt Disney was fast becoming the most influential pioneer in the field of character-based cel animation.


The Fleischer Brothers: Inventors, Cartoon Makers
At the same time, serious rivals to Disney's animation production came from the Fleischers (Max, Dave, Joe, and Lou). They were already making technical innovations that would revolutionize the art of animation. In 1917, Max Fleischer invented the rotoscope to streamline the frame-by-frame copying process - it was a device used to overlay drawings on live-action film. The Fleischers were also pioneering the use of 3-D animation landscapes, and produced the hour-long Einstein's Theory of Relativity (1923).

The Fleischer Brothers also made the first animated films (cartoons) that featured a soundtrack, in a series of 36 films released in the mid-1920s called Ko-Ko Song Car-Tunes (1924-1927) - the precursors to karaoke. The first sound cartoon was one of the Song Car-Tunes -- Mother Pin a Rose on Me. They were also the first audience participation films, with sing-along lyrics and a 'bouncing-ball' helper. They included Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly? (1926), When The Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves For Alabam' (1926), Comin' Tho' The Rye (1926), Margie (1926), My Old Kentucky Home (1926), Tramp, Tramp, Tramp-The Boys Are Marching (1927), By The Light Of The Silvery Moon (1927). In My Old Kentucky Home, Bimbo said to the audience: “Follow the ball and join in everybody." Twelve of the 36 short films were released in both sound and silent versions.
[Little-known fact: Max Fleischer was the father of Richard Fleischer, the director of Disney's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), Fantastic Voyage (1966), Doctor Dolittle (1967) and Soylent Green (1973).]


Ko-Ko the Clown
One of the Fleischers' first successful ventures occurred in 1919 with the premiere of the part live-action/part animation Out of the Inkwell series of shorts, featuring the animated Ko-Ko the Clown character in a live-action world - one of the first animated characters.


Bimbo
From 1929-1932, their Talkartoons for Paramount starred a mouse-like character named Bimbo - who was soon relegated to a minor companion co-star with the Fleischer's next racy cartoon star.


Betty Boop
Max Fleischer was responsible for the provocative, adult-oriented, cartoon Betty Boop vamp-character, who always wore a strapless, thigh-high gown (and visible garter) and was based on flapper icon Clara Bow's 'It' Girl and Mae West. A prototype of the squeaky- and baby-voiced cartoon queen (voiced for most of the 30s by Mae Questel) was introduced in a Bimbo Talkartoon entitled Dizzy Dishes (1930) - with her appearing as a long-eared puppy dog! In the early cartoon Betty Co-Ed (1931), she was called Betty, and in a pre-Code Bimbo cartoon entitled Silly Scandals (1931) (the title spoofed Disney's Silly Symphonies), she was named Betty Boop for the first time (she sings You're Driving Me Crazy while her dress top keeps falling down). However, in Stopping the Show (1932), she appeared under her own credits banner for the first time (she had previously appeared only in Talkartoons and Screen Songs).
Betty Boop's voice was actually modeled on the voice of another actress, Helen Kane, who created a sensation on Broadway in 1928 with a "boop-oop-a-doop" rendition of the hit song I Wanna Be Loved by You. The cartoon character with a high baby voice and spit curls then appeared in a series of short cartoons and became the top Fleischer star, in Minnie the Moocher (1932), the risque Boop-Oop-A-Doop (1932), Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle (1932), the five-minute Snow White (1933) (with an appearance by Cab Calloway) - the first animated film based upon the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale, Betty Boop's Rise to Fame (1934), in her sole color cartoon Poor Cinderella (1934) - the Fleischer's first color cartoon with Betty sporting red hair, and the Oscar-nominated Riding the Rails (1938). She displayed a bit of breast and performed a sexy hula in the pre-code Betty Boop's Rise To Fame (1934). Unfortunately, the cute, titillating 'boop-oop-a-doop' Betty was destined to be censored with the advent of the enforceable, conservative and puritanical Hays Production Code in 1934. Drastic changes to her character after 1934 led to her demise by 1939, with her last cartoon, Yip Yip Yippy (1939). [During the 30s, Mae Questel recorded On the Good Ship Lollipop -- in Betty Boop's voice-- which sold more than 2 million copies.]


Popeye
The Fleischers also obtained the rights to the tough, one-eyed, spinach-loving sailor Popeye with over-sized arms (who was introduced in January 1929 in creator Elzie C. Segar's "Thimble Theatre" newspaper comic strip published in the New York Journal for King Features Syndicate since 1919). Popeye became so popular in the comic strip that it was renamed "Thimble Theatre, Starring Popeye." Popeye first appeared on film alongside established cartoon-star Betty Boop in July, 1933 in Fleischers' Betty Boop cartoon titled Popeye the Sailor (1933), in which they dance the hula. Popeye's voice was provided by William Costello (better known as Red Pepper Sam) from 1933-35. [After Costello was dismissed, Jack Mercer, who began his career as an artist at the cartoon studio, provided Popeye's voice and ad-libbed mutterings for the Fleischers until 1957, and various voices for the two Fleischer feature-length animations - see below.] The same year in September, the first official Popeye cartoon, I Yam What I Yam was released - the first in a long series of animated shorts. Popeye's first Technicolor cartoon was the two-reel special release Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936), noted for its experimental multi-plane 3-D backgrounds, and for being the first Fleischer cartoon to be nominated for an Academy Award - Best Short Subject - Cartoon. The cartoon character became well-known for his theme song (excerpt below):
I'm Popeye the Sailor ManI'm Popeye the Sailor ManI'm strong to the finich'Cause I eats me spinachI'm Popeye the Sailor Man...
The voices of Olive Oyl, Popeye's whiny girlfriend, and Sweet Pea were provided by Mae Questel. The character Wimpy provided the name for an unpopular type of British hamburger. By 1938, Popeye had replaced Mickey Mouse as the most popular cartoon character in America. Paramount's Famous Studios continued the series beginning in 1942, and Popeye's movie career lasted until 1957. Robert Altman directed the live-action film flop, Popeye (1980), starring Robin Williams as Popeye, Shelley Duvall as Olive Oyl, and Ray Walston as Pappy, Popeye's father.

Superman
Dave and Max Fleischer, in an agreement with Paramount and DC Comics, also produced a series of seventeen Superman cartoons in the early 1940s. The first Superman short, Superman (1941), premiered in 1941, introduced the terms "faster than a speeding bullet" and "Look, up in the sky!". The most famous of the series was the second entry, The Mechanical Monsters (1941) with the super-hero battling giant flying robots - and marking a redesigned Lois Lane and the first time Superman would change into his costume in a phonebooth. Also notable was The Bulleteers (1942).
The Fleischers were responsible for the first ten Superman cartoons (up through Japoteurs (1942)), with the remaining shorts produced by Paramount's Famous Studios during 1942-43. [The recognizable theme song for the series was incorporated into John Williams' score for Superman: The Movie (1978), and the cartoons were referenced in The Iron Giant (1999).]


Fleischer Studios' Two Feature Films:
Two feature-length animations with whimsical characters and advanced animation techniques by the Fleischers deserve mention, although the Fleischers are better-remembered for their shorts than for their only two features:
(1) Gulliver's Travels (1939), an animated musical adaptation of Jonathan Swift's 1726 classic literary satire about war. The Fleischers, who were in direct competition with Disney, released this inferior attempt - it was the second American feature-length animated film ever, following (and patterned) after Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). (See below) The film was a two-time Academy Awards nominee: for Victor Young's Best Original Score, and for Best Song: Faithful Forever.
(2) the expensive, Technicolored Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941), advertised as the screen's first full-length musical comedy cartoon. (It was originally named after Frank Capra's earlier feature Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), and also given an alternate title: Hoppity Goes to Town.) Due to the film's financial failure, it was the last cartoon feature that Max and Dave released.
As a final footnote, Fleischer Studios, after restructuring as Famous Studios by Paramount, also produced cartoons based on Harvey Comics characters, including over two dozen Little Lulu (Moppet) cartoons in the 40s, and over 50 Casper the Friendly Ghost cartoons that stretched into the 1950s (Casper made his debut in Izzy Sparber's cartoon short The Friendly Ghost (1945)).